Archive for November, 2013

By Naval History and Heritage Command staff When it comes to the three “Cs” on Thanksgiving menus over the years, one might think corn, cranberries and collard greens. But in 1907, it was cigarettes, cigars and cider (no mention as to whether that was hard or regular) for the crew of USS Kentucky. Navy commanding officers knew then what they know today, NOTHING sinks morale faster than bad food or raises it like good food. So during the holidays, when most Americans enjoy spending time with their families and when many Sailors of America’s globally deployed Navy are often serving… Read the rest of this entry »

By the Naval History and Heritage Command staff It was all about timing. From the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in April, the Battle of Coral Sea in May to the Battle of Midway in June. Thomas C. Hone, editor of “The Battle of Midway: The Naval Institute Guide to the U.S. Navy’s Greatest Victory,” gives an enthusiastic and energetic talk about the battle that crippled the Japanese navy just six months after their surprise attack at Pearl Harbor. Hone, who spoke Nov. 7 at the National Museum of the United States Navy’s lunchtime lecture, provides tidbits and… Read the rest of this entry »

By Naval History and Heritage Command staff It was “an ideal night for a nice, quiet torpedo attack,” according to then-Capt. Arleigh A. Burke. “There may have been blacker nights than Thanksgiving Eve, 1943, in the South Pacific, but none could have been more completely blacked out with regard to information of the enemy.” That’s how Burke described the famed Battle of Cape St. George. Today is the 70th anniversary of that final surface battle that ended the World War II Solomon Islands Campaign, in which 7th Fleet Destroyer Squadron 23 sank three out of a 5-ship “Tokyo Express” that… Read the rest of this entry »

By the Naval History and Heritage Command For more than 113 years, submarines have been silently gliding under the water, stealthily scouting out coastlines, harbors and lagoons. But it was 60 years ago that attack submarine Nautilus (SS-168) would perform the first combat periscope photography leading to the capture of the Apamama Atoll in the South Pacific Nov. 19-24, 1943. The strip of land would later serve as a landing field for allied forces, perhaps the only atoll in history to be captured by a submarine. It was an early example of the effective use of submarines in recon and… Read the rest of this entry »

From the Naval History and Heritage Command The Navy has a long, proud history of leading in energy innovation and change, according to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus. “From sail to coal to oil to nuclear and now to alternative fuels, the Navy has led the way,” he said during a speech Sept. 11, 2013, to the National Defense University. Such was the case 123 years ago today, Nov. 18, 2013, when USS Maine was launched in New York. And with her, as with each new first-in-its-class ship since then, she featured some of the best technological… Read the rest of this entry »

From the Naval History and Heritage Command, Communications and Outreach Division For our “lessons noted, lessons learned” historical journey today, we’ll start in the “seemed like a good idea at the time” file. For it was this date in 1870 that a captain with a crew of two ships set sail on an expedition to find the shortest distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. While the mission itself proved fruitless, the work completed proved so valuable that the Navy would spend the next several years surveying South America, the Caribbean Sea and beyond as ordered by… Read the rest of this entry »

From Naval History and Heritage Command, Communication and Outreach Division She served as the flagship during the Spanish American War, Caribbean Division in 1902, the U.S. Patrol Force in 1917 and American Naval Forces in the Mediterranean in 1919. But USS Olympia’s most memorable overseas mission was her last: carrying the body of the Unknown Solider for burial at Arlington National Cemetery in 1921. Just like the Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Soldiers of today, the last steel-hulled cruiser played her part in leaving no warrior behind and giving solemn passage home for those who made the ultimate sacrifice in protecting… Read the rest of this entry »

From Naval History and Heritage Command, Communication Outreach Division The Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) announced the winners of its logo design contest, whose work will serve to inspire the new NHHC logo. The winning design (pictured right) came from Nathan E. Quinn, a graphics specialist at the Defense Media Activity. “The main point I was trying to convey with the design is that ‘our past guides our future.’ I have an image of the USS Constitution, which is a long-standing symbol of the Navy. It has persevered through many hardships but still stands today and I think that… Read the rest of this entry »